Chaste
by you're beautiful
Summary: Anthology. 01. "My dad loves aniki, while I'm...I'm like the vegetables that you put aside during dinnertime..." Sakura looked at Sasuke with the most genuine expression on her petite face, before she mumbled, "I love vegetables..."


**Chaste  
**_I. Pure_

**SasuSaku. **There was never a doubt that Sasuke envied his older brother. Sasuke looked sad, before he grumbled, "My dad loves aniki, while I'm...I'm like the vegetables that you put aside during dinnertime..." Sakura looked at Sasuke with the most genuine expression on her petite face, before she mumbled, "I love vegetables..."

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純粋

* * *

_"With every smile, he slowly but surely fell for her."_

Sasuke was a very focused boy for his age. He always studied before sleeping, and always got good grades.

Unfortunately, good wasn't good enough for his father, Uchiha Fugaku. Fugaku was a man who had great expectations from his sons, and good was not something he hopes for from his sons. He wants excellent grades, an overly-dedicated and insomniac son who is on the top of his classes.

Sasuke would get A's, but there would be occasional B's (Damn you, Science and Math). He was very studious, but at times his friends would distract him (Damn you, Naruto, Kiba, Suigetsu, Shikamaru, and Neji). Lastly, Sasuke was a great student, but not the best. There was a certain someone who doesn't only pass their tests, but always gets the top marks (except for P. Education, thank _god_).

_Damn_ you, Haruno Sakura.

Sasuke snarled, as he stared at the bowl of hot tanuki soba that his mom placed on the table.

Mikoto scoffed, before proceeding to scold her disappointed son. "Sasuke-chan! You will eat this, and you are not leaving until you finished eating every single vegetable in that soup."

Sasuke opened his mouth to complain, but upon seeing _The Look_ on his mom's face, he shut it.

There was a satisfied look that crossed Mikoto's face, before she sat down next to her husband, who stared at the soup disgustedly before him. She slapped his knee below the table, and glared at him heatedly. "You! Eat your vegetables too," she growled, "Gosh, like father, like son!"

Sasuke, whose mouth was filled with noodles, glanced at his father who stared at him back. He looked down after a millisecond, because let's face it, staring at his father was like...being the guilty suspect staring at the judge during a court meeting.

His own father made him nervous.

"Sasuke," his father spoke.

Sasuke knew what was coming.

"I hear you didn't get the highest grade average in your grade."

Sasuke opened his mouth to defend himself, but he knew he couldn't say anything witty towards his father. "...Hai, otousan."

To make it worse, his older brother, the genius made his entrance, "Sorry I'm late. I was busy completing my volunteer hours."

Fugaku nodded understandingly, and Sasuke fought the urge to snort in annoyance. His brother was always the favored son, and it just wasn't fair. Sasuke was just as hardworking... He deserves some recognition. At the very least, he was second to that Haruno...

Second. That word irked him.

"I want to be in first place for once..." He whispered sadly.

His older brother, who passed by him on his way to the dinner table heard his mutter. Being a kind older brother, he placed his hand on Sasuke's messy black mane, and ruffled it affectionately. "You're already first place to me, otouto."

Sasuke looked up his brother, and smiled a small smile. Despite his jealousy towards his brother, he just couldn't bring himself to hate him. Itachi was just the best brother one could wish for. He was kind, compassionate, empathetic (no, sympathetic was the better word), and he was always there to comfort him when his father omitted his existence.

Fugaku stared at his oldest son, and shook his head. "You are too kind, Itachi."

Sasuke bit his lip. Even when his father was scolding his brother, it still sounded like a compliment to him. Standing up, he took his bowl of soba and excused himself, "I'm going to eat in the kitchen." He trudged towards their closed concept kitchen, and ate at the breakfast bar alone, his mind brimming with thoughts that children his age shouldn't be thinking of.

"Maybe I'm better of not being born..."

"Otouto...Don't say that. The only reason why I am working hard is, not to please father, but to make a great role model for you. If I worked hard enough, you will follow in my example, and carve your own path towards success."

Sasuke stared at his brother, and shook his head up and down, yes. "You're the best brother ever..."

Itachi could only smile at his seven year old brother. "I try my best, otouto...I really do."

Meanwhile, in the other room, Mikoto filled up her husband's bowl with more Chinese broccoli than noodles itself. "You are going to eat all of this, you insensitive bum!"

Fugaku grumbled, as he gave in to his wife's command. "Yes, Mikoto..."

* * *

純粋

* * *

Sasuke harrumphed, as he stared at the joyous faces around him. He wouldn't admit it, but last night's occurrences still bothered him. He was patient, but his father was just too much. Sure, he was in secondth place academically, but his father should still be proud, right? He worked hard, despite the fact that his friends distracted him occasionally but every children should at least have some freedom to be curious, to discover, to make mistakes, and to just be...a child. His father pushed him to his limits, and it was becoming more unbearable.

Sasuke even went as far as thinking about rebelling.

Sighing, Sasuke stared at the girl who quietly sat on the swings. She held a rather thick book in her petite hands, and Sasuke wandered how she could even hold on to it. He wandered if he could even hold it! His gaze was on her for a while, and it slowly turned into a glare as he was caught up in his green-eyed thoughts.

How can an abnormal girl like her be so brilliant deep inside? What did Naruto see in her? She was silent, but deadly. He, himself, feared her wrath although he did thank Kami that the girl had a calm composure. She didn't like trouble, for she knew it would be a bad insert to her records. What a pushover. What's up with her? She's always kissing up to their teachers, and she acts like she's the best (Sasuke ignored the fact that she is), and she is...

She's just too much.

Sasuke was brought out of his reverie when a bunch of girls marched up to the pink-haired girl. They all seemed pretty peeved, and they all towered over the girl's short stature. Curious, Sasuke stood up and slowly made his way towards the sand box.

"What's going on..?" He wondered, as he sat down on the wooden dividers, with his back to the posse.

"Why are you always acting like you're cooler than all of us?" A red-haired girl, Amy, more or less stated than questioned.

Miss Number One looked up with a dull expression on her face that would've rivaled Shikamaru's own (if not the fact that Shikamaru's face always looked...neutral). She looked back down, and read her book, which Sasuke could now make up the title.

_The Book of All Things Literacy._ Sasuke blanched. Why was she so strange? Literacy was so boring! What was so great about language? Even he could admit that Science (which he loathed) was much more entertaining than the art of literary devices.

Gross. At this point on, Sasuke had deemed the girl as Miss Boring. She was never going to find a boyfriend!

"You think you're all that!"

"Yeah! You think you're so perfect, but you're not!"

"You're so stupid! Just like your younger brother!" There were a series of cruel words bombarded to her, but Miss Number One only kept a bored look on her face. Anger swelled up within me. How could she just let them push her around like that? What ever happened to the girl that Naruto would proudly speak of during their monthly sleepovers?

_"Sakura-chan is really nice! But, if you mess with her, she'll be...she'll be like...like a mom! Yeah, mom! She's like mommy because just like my mama, she doesn't let anyone do bad things to her! Yeah, believe it, guys!"_

"Is that all...?" Miss Boring muttered, as if she was used to this.

The girls growled, before they took her large book (they struggled, of course) and dropped it to the ground. They opened it, knelt next to it, then proceeded to rip it apart.

Sasuke was appalled. How could they just gang up on her like that? He disliked the girl, but not to the point where he would vandalize her things! Standing up from his post, he yelled at the girls, "Hey! Don't do that!"

All of the girls looked up him, stunned, before simultaneously dashing off.

"Ah! It's Sasuke-kun!"

"Oh no!"

"Run!"

Sasuke stared at them disappear off to the slides. Turning around, he stared at the girl who pitiably picked up the ripped sheets of paper. He furrowed his eyebrows, and demanded, "How could you let them do such mean things to you like that! No, how could you let them bad mouth your otouto!" He knew that if anyone badmouthed him, his older brother would pound them...right? Because Itachi-niichan cared about him a lot!

The girl stared at him, before smiling sadly, in the brink of tears. "I know...but if I do anything back to them, I'll be seen as violent and irresponsible."

Sasuke looked at her like she was the crazy. "You're so weird! Why do you care about what the sensei thinks so much?"

Miss Number One grinned forcefully, the gap between her two front teeth becoming visible. "I don't do it for Iruka-sensei! It's for my otouto! If I punched them back, he will surely follow me! I want my little brother to see me as a good role model!"

This girl was full of surprises it seemed. Sasuke stared at her, and saw a personality resemblance of Itachi in her. "You're just like my aniki..."

"Hm...?" The girl tilted her head to the side, confused.

Sasuke blushed, and he was unsure why. Maybe it was getting kind of hot! "Ano...my older brother also says that he is working very hard for me."

Miss (Not So) Boring giggled, and Sasuke felt like running inside the school facility for its air conditioning. "I understand your aniki!"

For once, Sasuke saw the girl in a new light. She wasn't so bad after all. At that moment, she managed to tuck in the paper inside her gigantic book, and held it with one hand much to his astonishment. She walked towards a tree and sat under its cool shade. Sasuke still felt rather warm though, which was strange to him.

Sasuke nodded, before he followed suit. He sat adjacent to her, as she opened her book again and took out the ripped paper. She read through it meticulously it seems, as her face scrunched up in concentration.

"Why are you so...dedicated?"

Miss Weird (another new epithet) stole a quick glance, before she spoke, "I...want to make daddy proud."

Sasuke opened his mouth to respond, but only found himself in a daze. She wasn't so strange after all. Sure, she was silent and just plain dull, but she has reasons that were similar to her brother's. Additionally, she was like him too.

The ultimate goal of a child, really, is recognition from their parents. The proud look on their faces when they find out that their children were doing an excellent job. Sasuke knew, because he's seen it. It wasn't directed towards him, but towards his brother. Nevertheless, he understood.

There is no other motivation greater than a parent's praise, for a child.

Sasuke looked sad, before he grumbled, "My dad loves aniki, while I'm...I'm like the vegetables that you put aside during dinnertime..."

Miss Weird, no... Sakura looked at Sasuke with the most genuine expression on her petite face, before she mumbled, "I love vegetables..."

At that very instant, Sasuke became fond of her. He decided that his father, was no longer the only one he wanted to gain acknowledgement from, but also from her.

And, Sasuke realized.

There is no greater motivation for anyone than that of a bona fide reassurance from someone who understands; from someone who did not only sympathize, but empathized.

The next day, they met up under the same cherry blossom tree.

Every day, they sat and empathized with each other.

Until summer arrived, and the pale pink of the cherry blossom tree slowly morphed into crimson, it became just the two of them, against the world.

* * *

純粋

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**disclaimer:** no rights.  
**author:** you're beautiful.  
**notes: **Fluff is love! It is cloud nine! Ah, SasuSaku innocent love is just beautiful. *applauds myself and pats my back*  
Anyways, there will be about...ten drabbles, most likely! I am seriously doing great in school, and I am ridiculously ahead of lessons, so I actually have time to write and think! Anyways, I hope you giggled, and screamed "Awwww" like a lovestruck teenage girl (you probably are). Ha, review!


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